It also seems to contradict Microsoft’s first party consolidation. I realize the argument runs counter to traditional gaming sales logic, where the same five to ten AAA games (e.g., Call of Duty, FIFA, GTA V) remain perpetual NPD best sellers. The right mix of under the radar titles isn’t just helpful to keep subscribers afloat between bigger drops, but I think they are increasingly critical to keeping subscribers happy. But given a Game Pass title’s low barrier to entry (a download or through Cloud Gaming, a click), subscribers aren’t wedded to budget, popularity, and review scores. Most will fly by without a splashy marketing presence, buzz on social media, or even a high score on OpenCritic.

Most armchair analysts underestimate how instrumental small budget indie games are to Xbox Game Pass’s success. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Nathanael Whale.The strategic importance of indie games for Game Pass Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Pick up a Coffee with Comrades shirt or coffee mug at our official merch store. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. You can download Citizen Sleeper right now with a GamePass subscription on Xbox consoles or pick up a copy for PC, Mac, or the Nintendo Switch.įollow Gareth on Twitter and check out their website. Like Gareth’s game, neither of us came up with many answers for how to survive–and thrive–in the ruins of capitalism, but the conversation was immensely edifying and I hope you’ll enjoy it, too. Gareth and I talk about Citizen Sleeper’s systems, structures, and mechanics, its vast cast of NPCs, themes of precarity and symbiosis, and the importance of mushrooms. In this week’s edition of Coffee with Comrades, I’m joined by writer, artist, and game designer Gareth Damian Martin, developer of the new indie RPG Citizen Sleeper.

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